Millions of American citizens have already left the United States in search of a better life. As the economy continues to crumble and as our society slowly falls apart, millions of others are thinking about it. But moving to another country is not something to be done lightly. The reality is that there are a vast array of social, cultural, economic and safety issues to be considered. If you have never traveled outside of North America, then you have no idea how incredibly different life in other parts of the world can be. For those that are unfamiliar with international travel, it can be quite a shock to suddenly be immersed in a foreign culture. In fact, no matter how experienced you are, choosing to relocate to a new country is never easy. But things have gone downhill so dramatically in the United States that picking up and moving to a foreign nation is being increasingly viewed as a viable alternative by millions of Americans. A lot of people have decided that they simply do not want to be in the United States when the excrement hits the fan. So what is the best country in the world for Americans to relocate to in order to avoid the coming economic collapse?

For each person, that answer may be different. A lot depends on how much money you have and what your career situation is. A lot depends on what stage of life you are at and what your family situation is. Moving to another country can be very complicated and it can be a lot of work, but there are millions of people that have found it to be very rewarding.

When it comes to leaving America, a lot of people out there have some really strong opinions.

Many people believe that leaving the United States at this time would be abandoning our country in its hour of greatest need. They are convinced that virtually everyone should stay and fight to turn this country around.

Others believe that there is no hope for the United States at all and that leaving this country is the only rational thing to do. A lot of Americans have decided that the best future for their children and their grandchildren is going to be found in another part of the globe.

Still others are waiting to see what is going to happen during this next election. Most people would agree that 2012 is going to represent a huge turning point for the United States, and if the election goes the wrong way it could move America down a road from which it will never recover.

But whatever you believe, the reality is that more Americans than ever seem to be interested in relocating overseas. This appears to be particularly true of younger Americans.

*According to the U.S. State Department, 6.3 million Americans are either working or studying overseas. That is the highest number that has ever been recorded.

*According to one recent survey, "the percentage of Americans aged 25 to 34 actively planning to relocate outside the U.S. has quintupled in just two years, from less than 1 percent to 5.1 percent."

*That same survey found that 40 percent of all Americans in the 18 to 24 age group are expressing interest in relocation outside of the United States. Two years ago that figure was only at 15 percent.

So why are so many Americans looking to relocate?

Well, our economy continues to get worse and worse. If you have not heard yet, it has been announced that an all-time record 46 million Americans are now on food stamps.

How much worse can it get?

We just keep setting new record after new record. Shouldn't the government just put us all on food stamps and get it over with?

A lot of Americans want to escape this country before they get sucked into the vortex of poverty that has trapped so many other American families. 2.6 million more Americans fell into poverty last year. In addition, according to the U.S. Census Bureau the percentage of Americans living in extreme poverty today is higher than has ever been measured before.

As poverty and despair spread across the United States, the fabric of our society is breaking down. As I have written about so many times, the thin veneer of civilization that we all take for granted is starting to disappear.

Mob violence is becoming increasingly common in America. The following example from earlier this week comes from a story in the Blaze....

New York City firefighters came to the rescue of two NYPD cops who were outnumbered and getting pummeled by 50 angry female teenagers on Tuesday.

The Firefighters from the FDNY opened up on the violent crowd with a “deluge gun”– which is a high-powered, truck-mounted water cannon–finally causing the mob to disperse.

As society breaks down, the government is becoming even more repressive in an attempt to maintain control. Paranoia has become standard operating procedure and we are all considered to be potential terrorists. Sadly, the United States is rapidly being turned into a totalitarian "Big Brother" police state. Millions of Americans are not excited about living in a giant prison and they are starting to look for alternatives.

Meanwhile, the U.S. government continues to pile up the biggest debt in the history of the world and spend money on some of the most ridiculous things imaginable. If you can believe it, over the past 10 years the U.S. government has actually spent almost a quarter of a billion dollarson genital pumps for old men.

Our government is drowning in debt, our businesses are drowning in debt and American consumers are drowning in debt. At some point this entire house of cards is going to come crashing down.

Are you sure that you want to be living in the United States when that happens?

If you do plan to move outside of the United States, there are a lot of things that you need to consider....

Money

It is a lot easier to move to another country if you are independently wealthy. Since most of us are not, you will likely have to consider how you will pay for the lifestyle that you plan to have once you move.

There are some countries (like many of the nations of northern Europe) where the cost of living is extremely high. If you plan to move to Europe that is something that you will need to plan for.

There are other nations where the strength of the U.S. dollar is a huge benefit (at least for now). If you have a sufficient bankroll saved up there are some areas of the world where you can literally live like a king.

Jobs

Unless you are retired, you will need to consider what kind of job you are going to work once you move. If you do not speak the language of the country that you are moving to that is going to really limit your career options.

Also, you will need to keep in mind that wages in many areas of the world (especially in the third world) are much lower than in the United States.

Laws

Americans are often shocked to learn that the rights that we enjoy in the United States do not apply in the rest of the world.

You need to evaluate whether or not you can live with the laws that will be imposed upon you in the country that you choose to relocate to.

For example, I would not have the same freedom of speech to write the things that I do in a lot of other countries. There are many countries that actually hunt down and arrest bloggers like me.

Also, it is important to keep in mind that huge taxes or huge fees are often imposed on those moving to a new country. You may actually have to pay a tax on whatever possessions you bring with you.

Security

In many areas of the world you will not be able to count on the police coming to help you if a crime is committed.

Even if police are available where you choose to live, that does not mean that they will not be corrupt.

So it is imperative that you come up with a security plan. Keep in mind that in many countries the ownership of guns is either banned or is severely limited.

Family

If you choose to relocate overseas without the rest of your family, you probably will not get to see them very often at all anymore.

It will be important for you to evaluate whether you will be able to take long-term separation from your family or not.

Also, it can be very lonely living overseas in a foreign nation where you do not know the language. In many countries Americans are deeply hated so you may find it difficult to make friends.

Culture Shock

This is something that should not be underestimated. Moving into the middle of a foreign culture can be absolutely shattering for many people. A lot of Americans have absolutely no idea what life is like on the other side of the globe.

If you are thinking of moving to another country, it might be a really good idea to visit it first so that you can get a feel for what you are getting into.

So what is the best country in the world for Americans to relocate to?

I am not going to answer that question myself. Instead, I want to ask my readers to help me answer that question.

Over the next couple of days, I am going to take comments that readers on my site leave and I am going to post them at the end of this article. Many of them are extremely knowledgeable, and hopefully they can help all of us learn more about what life is like on the other side of the world.

So if you would like to participate in this debate, please post a comment at the end of this article on The Economic Collapse Blog with your opinion. Please tell us what country you think is best for Americans to move to and the reasons why you think that it is the best.

This should be a fun debate, and I am looking forward to hearing what you all have to say.